Epaphus in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Epaphus

8 passages from 6 ancient authors that tell of Epaphus, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Epaphus was the son of Zeus and Io; his name, meaning "touch", shows the way he was born - that is, by Zeus' touch. He was born either on the island o... For the story in one place, read our article on Epaphus.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.1.1–5Inachus, Io and the DanaidsThe line of Inachus of Argos runs through Phoroneus and Apis to Argus the All-seeing, whom Hermes kills while he guards Io, whom Zeus has turned into a cow. Io wanders to Egypt and bears Epaphus, whose descendants include the twins Belus and Agenor. Belus's twin sons Aegyptus and Danaus quarrel over the kingdom, Danaus flees to Argos with his fifty daughters, and they are married to Aegyptus's sons and kill them on the wedding night, all but Hypermnestra, who spares Lynceus.

Aeschylus (3)

Aeschylus, Suppliants 234–324Second episode: Pelasgus questions the maidensKing Pelasgus asks who these foreign women are, and they say they are Argives by descent. When he doubts it, they go through the story of Io, driven by the gadfly to Egypt, who bore Epaphus, and name their line down to Danaus and his brother Aegyptus. The king accepts their descent and asks what drove them from home.
Aeschylus, Suppliants 1–175Parodos: the Danaids arrive at ArgosThe Chorus of the daughters of Danaus call on Zeus, guardian of suppliants, and tell how they fled from Egypt over the sea to avoid marriage with their cousins, the sons of Aegyptus. They recall their descent from Io, whom Zeus touched and who bore Epaphus, and they pray to be allowed to stay in the land of their ancestress. They call on Zeus and the gods of Argos to protect them rather than give them up to men they hate.
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 786–876Second episode (cont.): the wanderings of Io (2) and her descendantsPrometheus goes on to tell Io of the rest of her way: across to Asia, to the Gorgons and the daughters of Phorcys, and then to the Nile, where Zeus will restore her to her senses and she will bear Epaphus. He foretells that the fifty daughters of one of her descendants will come back to Argos and that all but one will kill their husbands. From the one who spares her husband will come a bold archer who will free Prometheus.

Euripides (1)

Euripides, Phoenician Women 638–689First choral song: Cadmus, the dragon and the Sown MenThe Chorus sings of Cadmus' arrival in Thebes, following the heifer, and of the birth of Bromius beside Dirce. They tell how he killed Ares' dragon and sowed its teeth, from which armed men sprang. They call on Epaphus, Persephone and Demeter to help the land.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.747–779Phaethon and EpaphusIo, restored, is worshipped in Egypt as a goddess and bears Zeus (Jupiter) a son, Epaphus. Epaphus boasts that he is the son of Zeus, and Phaethon, who claims that Apollo (the Sun, 'Phoebus' in More's translation) is his father, is mocked for it. Phaethon goes in shame to his mother Clymene, who swears that the Sun is his father and tells him to go and ask for himself, and he travels through Ethiopia and India to the land of the dawn.

Nonnus of Panopolis (1)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 3.216–318Book 3: Dardanos and the flood; Cadmos tells his lineageAfter the third flood Dardanos reaches Ida, and Emathion receives Cadmos at a rich table with the music of Corybantic pipes. Questioned by Electra, Cadmos traces his descent from Io and Epaphos through Belos to his father Agenor, and tells how Europa was carried off by the bull and he was sent to find her.

Bacchylides (1)

Bacchylides, Dithyrambs 19.1–20.11Dithyrambs 19–20: Io and Argus; Idas and MarpessaDithyramb 19 tells of Io, driven by the gadfly, and asks whether Hermes slew the watcher Argus or lulled him to sleep. She came to the banks of the Nile and bore Epaphus, and from that race sprang Cadmus and Dionysus. Dithyramb 20, a fragment, tells how the maidens of Lacedaemon sang of Idas bringing home Marpessa in a chariot given by Poseidon.